Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant Enters Final Upgrade Stage
The Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant has initiated the final phase of its equipment modernization program. The facility is decommissioning hydro unit No. 4, which has been continuously generating power since 1959. This is the last of the four original machines of the Irtysh cascade to undergo a complete replacement.
The modernization process requires the disassembly of heavy structural components. Inside the machine hall, the generator rotor has already been removed, and the disassembly of the turbine equipment has begun. The scroll casing, which directs the water flow to the blades, has been completely drained. Workers are restoring the surface of the stator columns and preparing to extract the old turbine runner. The scale of the work is determined by the dimensions of the unit – its height exceeds 17 meters, and the total weight reaches 112 tons, of which 86 tons correspond to the runner alone.
Parallel to the dismantling, new components are arriving at the hydropower plant. The Novosibirsk-based Elsib plant is shipping parts for the generator, and the St. Petersburg-based Power Machines enterprise is manufacturing the turbine. The investment cycle extends until 2027. Following the launch, the capacity of the machine will increase from 83.3 to 95 megawatts. From environmental and economic perspectives, this will provide an additional 17 million kilowatt-hours of annual output without increasing the load on the river ecosystem – the plant will generate more energy from the same volume of water throughput.
The first three units of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant underwent a similar procedure previously. The comprehensive replacement of blades, guide vanes, and other elements has already allowed the facility to increase generation. The upgrade of the fourth machine concludes the multi-year modernization program of the plant.
